Hard work, dedication key to success – Bolt

Usain Bolt, the first man in history to complete a historic 'triple-triple' of Olympic gold medals, has encouraged his legion of young fans that, like him, who had to "make sacrifices, work hard, and dedicate his life to being the best he can be at all times", they, too, can achieve greatness in their respective fields.

The legendary Jamaican sprinter was asked by a young fan, during his unveiling as telecommunications firm Digicel's Chief Speed Officer on Tuesday, what his advice was for young persons who loved speed, Bolt, considered one of the more charismatic and influential athletes globally, responded: "On the street, I would say slow down. On the track, I would say, for me, speed is pretty much my life. For the young people, it's pretty much hard work and dedication.

BEING THE BEST

He pointed out, "I've dedicated my life to being the best I can be at all times, so if you want to be the best, you have to work hard and dedicate yourself and focus, sacrifice a lot and just stay above and, no doubt, just be strong."

The 30-year-old, who has signed a lifetime partnership with mobile phone network provider Digicel, is also a Puma brand ambassador, among other things, being a professional athlete all his life.

Digicel, who provides communication services across 33 markets in the Caribbean, Central America, and Asia Pacific, began sponsoring the Jamaican icon in 2004 when he was just blazing a trail out of high school.

Meanwhile, Peter Lloyd, Digicel's group marketing director, said Bolt would work alongside Digicel to "pass on his passion for track and field through various philanthropic activities directed towards youth".

- S.F.